Not everyone nabbed in the West Shore RCMP’s crackdown on shoplifting late last year will face charges.
Five of the 27 people apprehended were not charged because they were simply hungry and stole food, said Cpl. Nancy Saggar.
They have since been referred to social agencies.
Saggar said the value of the food taken was under $10 in each case.
“There was one gentleman who just stole a sandwich,” she said. “We’re not going to charge people who are hungry.
“We need to provide them with other resources.”
Saggar said the November-December shoplifting blitz was the detachment’s first, and more will be coming.
Police said shoplifting reports on the West Shore jumped 29 per cent last year from 2022.
Nine of those arrested in the shoplifting crackdown will have their cases dealt with through restorative justice — a process that tends to be offered to first offenders. “They don’t have prior records, they’re not repeat offenders and usually whatever was stolen was recovered.”
The offenders have to take “ownership” of what they did and talk about it with the victim, in this case store staff, Saggar said.
The process often leads to the offender having to complete some sort of community service, she said.
Saggar said the recent crackdown focused on big-box stores and major grocery outlets in Colwood, View Royal and Langford that employ loss-prevention officers.
High-end electronics and tools were among items favoured by those who were caught, she said.
As in other jurisdictions, she said that some shoplifting incidents reported to West Shore RCMP involve aggressive suspects who become “belligerent or violent” when they are found out.
“That does happen quite often, and our recommendation always is do not engage if you’re the employee or the store owner,” Saggar said. “Just take down a really good description, let that person go and call the police.
“Most times these individuals are on foot so it’s not hard to track them down.”
One of the shoplifters caught in the crackdown was from Chilliwack and is a suspect in a string of previous thefts there. Saggar said it’s not uncommon for people to commit crimes outside their home area.
